Recreation of the Rhodian village of Lahania in Thebarton, South Australia, in the early 1950s. Part Three

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Abstract

After World War Two ended in Lahania in 1946, villagers formed an almost continuous
stream to Australia until 1967. A smaller number of thirty-six went to America by
1956. The Australian contingent 117 of the 128 went straight to Thebarton, in Adelaide.
This massive exodus eased living conditions for some of those left behind. Markets
opened outside the village by 1955 to sell crops. By 1958 fertilisers were available, which
increased yields by 400% in the first year, but within four years the yields dropped back
to the original amount. The Greek Government donated a tractor to the village in 1960
(still there in 1978). In Australia, many of the men had to travel extensively and work
under extreme circumstances to support their families. Thebarton, however, had many
qualities which suited the new arrivals. One of these qualities was that they were able
to participate in the community in a way that closely emulated conditions in Lahania.